Clotheslines

Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires decision and sometimes division. That was Sunday’s message. That same message appears in the books of the Old Testament, Paul’s letters and directly from the lips of Jesus Himself. So, it must be true! One such message is in the Book of Deuteronomy, just before the Israelites enter the land of Cannan. Moses reminds them about all they’ve been taught on their journey through the wilderness. He sets out God’s entire blueprint for their new

Let’s talk about eating. We eat for nourishment, but there is much more to it than that. When we eat together, we learn about human nature. Eating together reveals deeper understandings of our relationships. Do you remember your first dinner date? In between small talk and nervous laughter, you might have noticed table manners, for example. Did she put her napkin on her lap? Where are his elbows? If you walked into a high school cafeteria, you see other examples of a meal and

Pain. We are all familiar with that word, aren’t we… some more than others. There’s everything from muscle aches to bone hurts, headaches to arthritis, broken hearts to crushed spirits. And we do everything we can to alleviate the pain. But what do we do when the pain won’t go away, no matter what drug we take? Luke’s Gospel tells us the story of a woman who has been in pain for eighteen years. We don’t know exactly what the cause of her pain is, but that really doesn’t matte

This past Sunday’s Gospel message was difficult to hear and understand. We think of Jesus as the ultimate ambassador of love, peace and harmony. But Luke gives us these disturbing words from Jesus: “Do you think that I have come to bring peace? No, I tell you, but rather division!” How can this be? Jesus’ words cut to the heart of anyone who has ears to listen. He also says that he “came to bring fire…”. We are unsure what Jesus meant, but all we know for sure is that Jesus k

“Life without God at the center is meaningless.” I saw that on a bumper sticker, and it is so true! Look around at the people you see. You will find a sense of contentment, a shining peace and often times a smile on those persons who know the meaning of a God-centered life. They will be people who show God’s love even when there might be trouble or pain in their own lives. How can that be? Because when God is at the center, all else pales. When God is at the center, faith shi

Today, August 6th, holds a special place in our church calendar. It is designated as the Feast of the Transfiguration. Holy Scripture tells us of the time Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain to pray. But what happened on the mountain would change the apostles understanding of Jesus forever. While they are praying, a cloud comes over the foursome and Jesus’ emerges glowing in light, so much so that the apostles have to cover their faces, the light is that bright. An

Having been away on vacation for three weeks, it’s time to once again focus…and today’s focus couldn’t be more perfect: Prayer. We all know the Gospel passage where the apostles ask Jesus how to pray. But what Jesus taught may be surprising to some. He didn’t teach about the position of your hand, or that you had to be kneeling. Human beings came up with all those ideas. But Jesus? He was more interested in your attitude, your motivation and the idea of conversation with God.

Today we’re going to look at part of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. While most of Paul’s letters express joy and love to his readers, this letter was written by an angry Paul! The people in Galatia that Paul had baptized were good, solid Christians. But since Paul’s visit, false teachings had infiltrated Galatia: You must become a Jew before you can become a Christian. And what exactly did that mean? You must obey all Jewish law and that will earn your right to salvation! Ho

Living with Jesus was filled with surprises. On any given day Jesus would do something remarkable, and I’m sure the disciples didn’t know whether to get excited for each coming day, or to be concerned about any ramifications that might occur. He fed thousands of people with one simple boxed lunch. He cured sick people. He walked on water. And he even took the time to sit with children and enjoy their antics. Another strange event happened when Jesus cured a man possessed by a

I often share a portion of my Sunday sermon in the Clothesline, but I’ve been led in a thoughtful direction today. So, here goes! Have you ever taken the time to think about the awesomeness of God…the one who created everything out of nothing and lays it all at our feet, asking only for our devotion and love? A creation that came to be with nothing but a word… “Let there be light” and everything began. And even after sin entered the world because of disobedience, mankind was